Ayala pleads not guilty in hit and run crash

Daniel Tepfer and Brian Lockhart

Updated 11:53 pm, Tuesday, October 16, 2012

State House candidate Christina Ayala appears in Superior Court in Bridgeport on Monday, September 11, 2012. Ayala is facing charges after police siad she fled the scene of an accident the night of August 15.

State House candidate Christina Ayala, right, is approached by reporters after exiting Superior Court in Bridgeport on Monday, September 11, 2012. Ayala is facing charges after police siad she fled the scene of an accident the night of August 15.

State House candidate Christina Ayala and her lawyer Guy P. Soares appear in Superior Court in Bridgeport on Monday, September 11, 2012. Ayala is facing charges after police siad she fled the scene of an accident the night of August 15.

Mireya Porto of Bridgeport looks at her car, a 2002 Honda Accord, that was totalled in an accident with Bridgeport state representative candidate Christina Ayala on North Avenue in Bridgeport on Wednesday. Porto's daughter, Krystal Velez, was driving the car.

Mireya Porto of Bridgeport looks at her car, a 2002 Honda Accord, that was totalled in an accident with Bridgeport state representative candidate Christina Ayala on North Avenue in Bridgeport on Wednesday. Porto's daughter, Krystal Velez, was driving the car.

Mireya Porto of Bridgeport looks at her car, a 2002 Honda Accord, that was totalled in an accident with Bridgeport state representative candidate Christina Ayala on North Avenue in Bridgeport on Wednesday. Porto's daughter, Krystal Velez, was driving the car.

"She (Ayala) is a young woman who made a wrong decision, I will not ask her to step down," he said. Testa said he doesn't think the pending case will hurt her chances of being elected.

Ayala on Tuesday stood before Superior Court Judge John Cronan with her lawyer, Guy Soares, and pleaded not guilty to evading responsibility, failure to obey a traffic signal and failure to renew her vehicle's registration. She elected a trial by jury.

Neither Ayala nor her lawyer would comment as they left the Golden Hill Street courthouse. Ayala could not be reached by phone later in the day.

According to police, on Aug. 15, Ayala was driving a 2007 Nissan Sentra with a 13-year-old and a 7-year-old on board when it collided with a 2002 Honda Accord driven by Krystal Velez, 26, of Bridgeport, at the intersection of North and Briarwood avenues.

When questioned by officers, Ayala said she attempted to check on the other driver after the crash, but left the scene because a man was yelling at her and she felt "scared."

Police said Ayala fled the accident scene and was eventually flagged down at the corner of Brooklawn Avenue and Laurel Place by a person who witnessed the accident and pursued her.

The distance between the accident location and where Ayala stopped is about six blocks.

The couple that aided Velez and pursued Ayala -- Kenneth and Charise Stokes, of Stratford -- have disputed Ayala's version of the events, saying she pulled over to check the damage to her own vehicle and drove away without looking back at the accident scene.

"She didn't even go and check on the person," Kenneth Stokes said in his 911 call, a recording of which was obtained in early September by Hearst Newspapers through the Freedom of Information Act.

In that same call, Kenneth Stokes said Ayala may have been driving under the influence.

"You need to hurry because, listen, she has kids in the car. She may be intoxicated," Stokes said.

The police report did not indicate Ayala was tested for alcohol, but Police Chief Joseph Gaudett said the responding officer, Migdalia Ayala, told him Ayala did not appear to be under the influence.

Gaudett said the officer is not related to Christina Ayala.

The day after the accident, Ayala issued the following statement: "I would like to formally apologize for my actions following Wednesday evening's traffic accident with Ms. Velez. ... We collided at an intersection and unfortunately I panicked. We both had insurance and I am asking my insurance representative to handle this in the most expedient manner to deal with any losses. I wish the best for Ms. Velez and regret my misjudgment."

Slater said because Bridgeport is a Democratic-stronghold, Ayala's arrest and trial will not affect her race against GOP candidate Manny Bataguas, a local businessman.

"In all honesty, the unfortunate thing is that it doesn't do anything to our candidate because we are Republicans in Bridgeport," Slater said.

Bataguas said he wants voters to judge him and Ayala on their merits as candidates and does not intend to make her arrest an issue.

But Bataguas also said the entire situation -- from the name of the arresting officer, to the fact Ayala was not tested for alcohol, to the trial delay -- appears suspicious.